Rotary internal combustion engine

ABSTRACT

A rotary internal combustion engine is described wherein a rotor wheel with rigidly extending vanes is mounted in a piston drum, the vanes being slidably fitted in slots in the drum. The wheel and drum rotate together within the engine housing and eccentrically of one another, and the vanes are shaped to allow free sliding motion in the unyielding slots.

Elmte States 1191 1111 3,72,341 Eells Jan. 1, 1974 [54] ROTARY INTERNALCOMBUSTION 1,221,333 4/1917 Killman 418 241 ENGINE 1,636,799 7/1927Berntsen. 123/8.45

3,083,646 4/1963 Weiss 1 418/241 Inventor! Thomas Eells, 10680 P1903,200,796 8/1965 Kraic et a1. 123/8.45 I B1vd., Rm. 260, Los Angeles,Calif.

22 Filed; AP 6, 1972 Primary Examiner-C. J. Husar Attorney-PhillipHoffman [21] Appl. No.: 241,659

[57] ABSTRACT [52] U.S. Cl. 123/845, 418/241 51 1m. (:1. F021) 55/14 Arotary memal combusno engme descrlbed [58] Field of Search l23/8.45, 43R, 43 c; wherein a rotor Wheel with rigidly extending vanes is 418/241mounted in a piston drum, the vanes being slidably fitted in slots inthe drum. The wheel and drum rotate [56] References Cited togetherwithin the engine housing and eccentrically UNITED STATES PATENTS of oneanother, and the vanes are shaped to allow free sliding motion in theunyielding slots. 2,974,111 9/1934 Jaworowski 418/241 3,606,602 9/1971Hamada et a1 123/845 8 C1aims, 10 Drawing Figures 1 ROTARY INTERNALCOMBUSTION ENGINE This invention relates to rotary mechanisms ingeneral, and in particular to internal combustion engines having rotarypistons. More specifically, this invention pertains to an engine havinga rotary piston eccentrically mounted with respect to a rotor wheel withradially extending vanes.

Rotary internal combustion engines with rotary pistons eccentricallymounted about a rotor wheel are well known in the art. Typically, therotor wheel has vanes extending radially therefrom which move freely inand out of slots in the periphery of the rotary piston as the piston andwheel rotate eccentrically in the same direction within a rotationchamber in the engine housing. A variable volumeis thereby providedwithin the rotation chamber wherein fuel can be compressed prior tocombustion.

Examples of such engines are described by B. M. Berntsen in U.S. Pat.No. 1,636,799 entitled Rotary Engine and by E. W. Rich in U.S. Pat. No.2,402,257 entitled Rotary Combustion-Engine. Both Rich and Berntsenaccomplish the free vane motion in the slots by complex packingarrangements involving yieldable bearings and/or packing members mountedin the slots and about the vanes. This prevents the vanes from cockingor being bent or broken from the eccentric rotation of the wheel andpiston. However, the complexity and number of movable parts involved ineach case leave much to be desired. If one of these hearings or packingmembers breaks, the vane might not be free to move as desired, and theengine would not function. In order to minimize such problems, it isdesirable to reduce the number of moving parts in the engine as much aspossible. In a rotary engine incorporating rotormounted vanes, it ispreferable for the rotary piston to accommodate free vane motion in thepiston slots without the aid of yieldable packing members or bearings.

The purpose of an engine in a vehicle is to provide rotationalacceleration to the wheels via a drive shaft. In an internal combustionengine compressed fuel is ignited, creating an explosion, the force ofwhich accelerates the piston. This force is transmitted to the piston inthe form of expanding fumes resulting from the explosion in thecombustion chamber. In the case of rotary engines such as theaforementioned, the expanding fumes should be directed against thevanes, thereby causing the wheel and piston to rotate.

In Richs patent the compressed fuel is urged from the pump chamberthrough a valve into a separate combustion chamber where it is ignited.The resulting fumes are then passed through another valve and expandinto the pump chamber and against a vane, thereby providing thenecessary rotational acceleration. When the compressed fuel is urgedinto the combustion chamber, however, it experiences an increased volumeinto which it expands. As a result the temperature of the fuel isdecreased, diminishing the efficiency and extent of the combustion.

In Berntsens patent the compressed fuel is retained within the rotorwheel and is ignited at maximum compression, providing more efiicientburning than Rich. However, it is not evident from Bertsens disclosurehow the desired rotational acceleration is developed and/or directed. Itis merely asserted, without explanation, that the piston is forced torotate as a result of the ignition of the compressed fuel.

In order to enhance efficiency and optimize engine performance, it isdesirable for the combustion of the fuel to occur at the moment ofmaximum fuel compression. The fuel temperature is highest when fuelcompression is maximum, therefore, the fuel will burn easier and morecompletely if ignited at that time, and the exhaust fumes will containless air pollutants as a result.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a rotarypiston drum and a rotor wheel with rigid vanes extending therefrom suchthat when the wheel'is mounted eccentrically in the drum the vanes canmove freely in and out of slots in the drum without the aid of yieldablebearings in the slots.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a rotaryinternal combustion engine which ignites the fuel at maximum compressionand directs the resulting expanding fumes against the advancing vanes toproduce rotational acceleration in the direction of desired motion.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a rotary internalcombustion engine with a minimum number of moving parts.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention areaccomplished by a rotary internal combustion engine including the fourphases of intake, compression, power, and exhaust, and comprising ahollow housing with a hollow first body rotatably disposed therein. Asreferred to herein and in the claims, the power phase, or the expansionphase as it is sometimes referred to, commences with the explosion ofcompressed fuel and includes the expansion of the resulting hot fumes.The first body which may be drum shaped,

for example, is tangent to one point on an inner surface of the hollowhousing and is mounted on an axis parallel to, and eccentric of an axisof the housing, and may have at least one pair of slots extendingpartially and essentially radially inward from the periphery thereof.

A second body, such as a wheel for example, is mounted in the first bodyan d rigidly on a shaft along an axis concentric with the housing axisso that it rotates with and eccentrically of the first body. There is atleast one pair of facing vanes rigidly extending from the periphery ofthe second body to the inner surface of the housing. Between each pairof slots in the first body is a piston head with a recess on itsperiphery. The head moves reciprocatively between the pair of vanes asthe bodies rotate eccentrically of one another. The vanes are shaped andspaced to allow the ends of the piston head to wipe the facing sides ofthe vanes as it rides therebetween, thereby maintaining the fuel chamberleak proof. When there, are multiple heads associated with the drum,there need not be slots.

There is at least one fuelchamber associated with the engine and definedby: the inner surface of the housing; the pair of facing vanes; and thepiston head. The volume of the fuel chamber varies as the piston headmoves relative to the vanes. At least one spark plug, intake port and anexhaust port are circumferentially distributed along the inner surfaceof the housing so that V the fuel chamber communicates appropriatelywith the ports and plug to facilitate the intake, compression, power,and exhaust phases of the engine cycle.

The recess in the piston head is shaped to direct the expanding fumeswithin the fuel chamber against the face of the forward vane, therebyaccelerating the rotation of the drum and wheel.

The invention will be described in greater detail in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the engine according to oneembodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the engine of FIG. 1 takenalong section 2-2;

FIG. .3 is a perspective view of the piston drum shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the wheel and vanes shown in FIGS. 1 and2;

FIGS. 5-9 are crosssectional views of the engine of FIG. 1 at varioustimes during the engine cycle; and

FIG. is a cross-sectional view of the engine according to anotherembodiment of this invention.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown an engine 1, according toone embodiment of the invention, comprising an engine housing 2 havingtwo abutting sections and 2b and having a rotation chamber 4 defined bythe inner cylindrical surface 6 and opposite parallel inner end surfaces8. The two sections 2a and 2b are bolted or otherwise held tightlytogether by conventional means. Coaxial cylindrical flanges 10 extendlongitudinally into the rotation chamber 4 perpendicularly from theinner end surfaces 8 and have a common longitudinal axis which isparallel to and spaced from the longitudinal axis of the chamber 4. Theflanges 10 are preferably solid except for cylindrical holes 12'disposed therethrough coaxially along the longitudinal axis of thechamber 4 and eccentrically of the longitudinal axis of the flanges 10.The flanges 10 may, if desired, by annular with walls substantiallythinner than the radius of the annulus so long as the longitudinal axisof the housing 2 passes through the annulus eccentrically of thelongitudinal axis of the flanges 10.

A piston drum 14, shown in perspective in FIG. 3 according to oneembodiment of the invention, comprises a single side walled drum section14a with an end cover 14b bolted thereon or otherwise suitably attachedthereto. Concentric holes 16 are centered in either side wall 18 of thedrum 14 for rotatably mounting the drum l4 eccentrically in the housingcavity 4 on the flanges 10. An inner cylindrical surface 20 of thecircumferential peripheral wall 21 of the drum section 14a partiallydefines a drum cavity 22 designed to receive a rotor wheel 24, shown inperspective in FIG. 4. A pair of vanes 26a and 26b, having facingsurfaces 270 and 27b, respectively, are integrally associated with andextend from the periphery 28 of the wheel 24 in an approximately radialfashion, the width of each vane 26a and 26b being equal to the width ofthe drum l4. Slots 32a and 32b in the drum 14 are designed toaccommodate these vanes 26a and 26b, respectively, the shapes of whichare discussed subsequently in greater detail. If desired, the slots inFIGS. 1 and 3 could be enlarged by removing all but a portion of thewall 21 equal in size to and diametrically opposite the head 48. Suchremaining portion of wall 21 would provide desired rotational stabilityto the drum 14.

The wheel 24 is rigidly and removably mounted on a shaft 33 which isjournaled in and extends through the holes 12 of the flanges 10, as inFIG. 2. If the flanges 10 are thin-walled and annular, as suggestedabove, the shaft 33 would be rotatably supported in a conventional andsuitable manner externally of the housing 2 but in any event would bealigned coaxially with the longitudinal axis of the rotation chamber 4.

An intake port 34 and an exhaust port 36 are formed in the housing 2 asshown. An intake valve 35 is disposed in the intake port 34 such thatwhen valve 35 is open, the port 34 communicates with the chamber 4, butwhen valve 35 is closed, port 34 does not. An exhaust valve 37 isdisposed in the exhaust port 36 such that when valve 37 is open, theport 36 communicates with the chamber 4, but when valve 37 is closed,port 36 does not. Thus, the integrity of the surface 6 is maintainedwhen both valves 35 and 37 are closed. The advantage of this port-valvearrangement will become clear subsequently. The intake valve 35 isconnected to a conventional fuel supply (not shown). The exhaust valve37 is normally connected to a muffler or a tail pipe (not shown) in anautomobile or may communicate with the atmosphere directly in otherapplications. The ports 34 and 36 are spaced along the surface 6 so thatthe arcuate distance between an end 38 of port 34 and an adjacent end 40of port 36 is larger than the arcuate distance between the tips 42a and42b of the vanes 26a and 26b, respectively,- which in turn is largerthan the arcuate width of the intake port 34 measured along the surface6. The reason for these spacings will become clear from subsequentdiscussion.

A first spark plug 44 is disposed in a first recess 45 in the surface 6and communicates with the chamber 4 at a position along the surface 6diametrically opposite the center of the intake port 34, the diameterbetween the plug 44 and the port 34 passing perpendicularly through thelongitudinal axes of the chamber 4 and of the drum 14. A A second sparkplug 46 is disposed in a second recess 47 in the surface 6 andcommunicates with the chamber 4 at a position on surface 6 withinapproximately 30 degrees from the first plug 44 and approximatelyopposite the intake port 34.

The portion of the peripheral wall 21 between the slots 32 is hereinreferred to as the piston head 48. The surface 50 of the piston head 48has a recess 52 formed therein beginning to one side of the center ofthe head 48 and extending across the center to an edge 54 thereof. Asthe wheel 24 and drum l4 rotate about their respective axes, the pistonhead 48 will move with respect to the vanes 26. As the wheel 24 rotates,the vanes 26 wipe the surface 6 and the head 48 moves between the vanes26 reciprocatively towards and away from the surface 6. The volumeenclosed by the surfaces 6 and 8, the head 48, and the inner faces 27aand 27b of the vanes 26a and 26b, respectively, varies as the wheel 24and drum l4 rotate and is referred to herein as the fuel chamber 56.

The fuel chamber 56 is essentially leak proof in order to retain thefuel. Accordingly, during the rotations of the wheel 24 and the drum 14,in addition to the tips 42 wiping the surface 6, sides 58 of the vanes26 and sides 60 of the piston head 48 wipe the end surfaces 8, and edges54 and 62 of the head 48 wipe the faces 27a and 27b, respectively, asthe head 48 rides between the vanes 26. The position of each edge 54 and62 with respect to surface 6 varies essentially sinusoidally as andbecause the drum l4 and wheel 24 rotate eccentrically. The edges 54 and62 are out of phase with each other by an amount equal to the arcsubtended by the head 48, causing the head 48 to undulate as it ridesbetween the vanes 26. The head 48 is preferably tangent to the surface 6at the location of the first spark plug 44 and tangent to the wheel 24after degrees of rotation from that point, the edges 54 and 62 beingequidistant from the surface 6 at these times. These points of tangencyare desirable to provide maximum fuel compression at the plug 44 andmaximum fuel intake into the chamber 56. At all other times during therotations, the edges 54 and 62 will not be equidistant from the surface6 since the head 48 will be cocked, as shown in FIGS. 6, 8 and 9. Theedges 54 and 62 are rounded, and the profile of each vane face 27 iswave-shaped with a point of concavity near the tops 64 and the bottoms66 of the vanes and a point of convexity therebetween, as shown, toaccommodate the aforementioned undulating motion of the head 48 withoutcompromising the essentially leak proof feature of the fuel chamber 56.The exact shape, size and radii of curvature of the vanes 26 will dependupon the diameters of the wheel 24, the drum l4, and the rotationchamber 4, as well as the arcuate length of the .piston head 48.

The operation of the invention is better understood with reference toFIGS. 5-9 which show the wheel 24 and drum 14 at various positions ofthe engine cycle. The combustion cycle of the engine, comprising intake,

compression, power and exhaust strokes of the piston head 48, requirestwo complete rotations of the wheel 24 and drum 14. In FIG. 5 the engineis shown during the intake stroke when the volume of the fuel chamber 56is a maximum. As the wheel 24 rotates, the chamber 56 moves past theintake port 34. When the leading vane 26a passes the end 38 of the port34, the intake valve 35 is opened to allow fuel to enter and fill thechamber 56. As the trailing vane 26b passes the end 38 of port 34, thevalve 35 closes and remains closed until the next intake stroke of thepiston head 48.

At this point, the piston head 48 begins its compression stroke as thewheel 24 and drum 14 continue their respective rotations. The fuelchamber 56 becomes smaller as the piston head 48 moves toward thesurface 6 and between the vanes 26, thereby compressing the fuel in thechamber 56. FIG. 6 shows the position of the fuel chamber 56 during thecompression stroke. The valve 37 is closed at this time, and because itis disposed in the exhaust port 36 as previously described the fuel willremain in the fuel chamber 56 and no fuel will be trapped in the port 36during compression. Thus all the fuel will be burned.

When the piston head 48 is in the position shown in FIG. 7, the fuel isfully compressed. The spark plug 44 is timed to fire at this time,igniting the compressed fuel in the diminished fuel chamber 56. Becausethe surface 50 of the piston head 48 is tangent to the surface 6 of thehousing 2 at this point in the combustion cycle, the fuel chamber 56comprises very little more than the volume of the recess 52.

The initial rotation of the drum 14 and wheel 24 is accomplishedconventionally by an electric engine starter or a manual mechanicalcrank (not shown) or any other suitable means. This achieves therequired rotation thus far described. Further rotation is furnished bythe power stroke of the engine which results from the ignition of thecompressed fuel.

The recess 52 is widest and deepest at the edge 54 of the piston head48. When the fuel is ignited, the force of the explosion in the fuelchamber 56 is directed against the walls of the chamber 56 whichcomprise the recess 52. the surfaces 6 and 8, and the face 27a of theleading vane 26a. Because of the shape of the recess 52 and its locationat the vane 26a, much of the force developed is directed against theface 27a of the vane 26a and will provide desired rotationalacceleration to the wheel 24 and, therefore, to the drum 14. Theignition of the fuel thus causes the onset of the power stroke.

When the fuel chamber 56 reaches the position shown in FIG. 8, it isopposite the second spark plug 46. The spark plug 46 ignites any unburntfuel remaining in the chamber 56, thereby providing additionalacceleration to the wheel 24 and drum 14. This second burning alsodiminishes the amount of air-polluting particles in the fumes, which areultimately exhausted to the atmosphere. In order to ignite this unburntfuel before the temperature and pressure decrease significantly, thesecond spark plug 46 is located within essentially 30 of the first sparkplug 44. This prevents excessive undesired expansion of the unburnt fuelprior to the second ignition.

The chamber 56 increases as the piston head 48 recedes from the surface6 due to the respective rotations of the wheel 24 and drum 14. Theexpansion of the hot fumes in the chamber 56, resulting from the burningof the fuel, aid the rotation of the wheel 24 and the drum 14.

The force of the explosions rotate the chamber 56 past the intake port34 as the fumes expand and onto the exhaust port 36, as shown in FIG. 9.As the leading vane 26a passes the end 40 of the port 36, the exhaustvalve 37 opens, allowing the fumes to be vented from the chamber 56. Asthe rotation continues, the fumes are compressed toward the exhaust port36 and are forced out. The intake valve 35 remains closed during exhaustand because it is disposed in the port 34 as previously described, noneof the expanding fumes will be trapped in the intake port 34 tocontaminate incoming fuel during a subsequent intake phase. Rather, theexpanding fumes remain in the fuel chamber 56 until they are ventedthrough port 36.

The rotational momentum gathered by the drum 14 and wheel 24 allow therotation to continue, and the chamber 56 is brought into communicationwith the intake port 34. The valve 35 opens again to allow fuel to enterthe chamber 56. The flow of fuel into the chamber 56 tends to aid therotation because as it enters, the shape of the recess directs its flowagainst the face 27a of the leading vane 26a. The fuel is once againcompressed and ignited as before, and the cycle then repeats itself.

The present invention extends to engines having more than one fuelchamber. Accordingly, there is shown in FIG. 10 a cross-sectional viewof the engine 1 in accordance with another embodiment of the presentinvention in which the wheel 24 has six vanes 26a, 26b, 26c, 26d, 26c,and 26f, for example, and the drum 14 has three piston heads x, 48y, and482. The engine 1 of FIG. 10 has three fuel chambers 56x, 56y, and 56zpartially defined by vanes 26a and 26b and head 48x, vanes 26c and 26dand head 48y, and vanes 26c and 26f and head 48z, respectively. Eachhead 48 in FIG. 10 is similar to the head 48 of FIG. I, having a surface50 with a recess 52 therein.

When the drum M has multiple heads 48 symmetrically spaced thereabout,the slots 32 may be dispensed with, as is the case in FIG. 10. Thesymmetrical distribution of the heads 48, as shown in FIG. 10 forexample, furnishes the desired rotational stability to the drum l4, andthe wide spaces between successive heads 48 allow free motion of thevanes 26 relative to the drum 14.

The respective combustion cycles of the fuel chambers 56x, 56y, and 562are the same as for the single fuel chamber in the engine of the firstembodiment. However, the sequence between them is such that the fuelchambers do not experience consecutive ignitions. Rather, the ignitionsalternate so that if chamber 56x fires on a given revolution of wheel24, chamber 56y does not, and chamber 562 does. On the next revolutionof the wheel 24, chamber 56): does not fire, chamber 56y now does fire,and chamber 562 does not. The cycle then repeats itself. For engineshaving an odd number of fuel chambers, the firings will continuouslyalternate among successive fuel chambers as they revolve past the sparkplugs 44. Whenever spark plug 44 fires, spark plug 46 fires almostimmediately thereafter, as previously discussed.

When the engine 1 comprises only two fuel chambers, they will bothexperience an ignition during one revolution of the wheel 24 and noneduring the next succeeding revolution. When the engine comprises an evennumber of fuel chambers greater than two, the firing pattern during eachrevolution of the wheel 24 is alternative, i.e., every other fuelchamber fires. The pattern for one complete cycle (i.e., two revolutionsof the wheel 24) is an interrupted alternative one. Thus, for an enginewith four fuel chambers, the first and third fire during the firstrevolution and the second and fourth on the next, the pattern repeatingthereafter.

The present invention further anticipates using two single fuel chamberengines side by side, with the wheels 24 of the respective enginesmounted on a common shaft 33. The combustion cycle of each engine wouldbe delayed by one revolution with respect to the other so that the shaft33 experiences an acceleration during each revolution. Similarly, thiscould be done with two double fuel chamber engines. The common shaftwould then experience two accelerations during each revolution anduniformly spaced in time.

There has thus been shown and described a rotary internal combustionengine wherein curved vanes rigidly extending from a rotor wheel slidefreely without yieldable supports, or in unyieldable slots in a pistondrum, as the wheel and drum rotate together and eccentrically of oneanother.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described indetail, other variations of the embodiments shown may be made within thespirit, scope and contemplation of the invention.

Accordingly, it is intended that the foregoing disclosure and drawingsshall be considered only as illustrations of the principles of thisinvention and are not to be construed in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

l. A rotary internal combustion engine having a cycle including the fourphases of intake, compression, power, and exhaust, said enginecomprising:

a hollow housing;

a hollow first body rotatably disposed within an inner surface of saidhousing, and mounted on an axis parallel to, and eccentric of an axis ofsaid housing, said first body having at least one pair of slotsextending partially and essentially radially inward from the peripherythereof;

a second body mounted in said first body and on an axis concentric withsaid axis of said housing to rotate with, and eccentrically of saidfirst body;

at least one pair of facing vanes rigidly extending from the peripheryof said second body to said inner surface of said housing and slidablydisposed in said slots, the profile of each facing vane beingwave-shaped with a point of concavity near the top and the bottomthereof and a point of convexity therebetween and the spacing betweeneach said pair of vanes allowing said head to ride therebetween with theends of said head wiping said facing vanes as said second body and saidfirst body rotate eccentrically of one another in said housing;

at least one piston head associated with said first body and disposedbetween said pair of slots, and having a recess on its periphery, saidhead moving reciprocatively between said pair of facing vanes as saidbodies rotate eccentrically of one another;

at least one variable volume fuel chamber defined by said inner surfaceof said housing, said pair of facing vanes, and said piston head, thevolume of said fuel chamber reciprocatively varying with the motion ofsaid head relative to said facing vanes; and

a spark plug, an intake port and an exhaust port circumferentiallydistributed along said inner surface of said housing so that said fuelchamber communicates appropriately with said ports and said plug tofacilitate said intake, compression, power and exhaust phases of saidengine cycle.

2. The engine claimed in claim 1 wherein said second body is rigidlymounted on a shaft aligned along said axis of said housing, said shafthaving supporting means associated therewith for maintaining itsposition along said axis of said housing.

3. The engine claimed in claim 2 wherein:

said housing comprises a hollow cylindrical rotation chamber, and saidinner surface comprises a cylindrical surface and two end surfaces; saidfirst body is a hollow drum; said second body is a wheel; said pistonhead is a part of said drum and is defind by said slots, and comprises aforward end and a rearward end; and i said recess extends essentiallyfrom the center to said forward end of said head, said recess beingwider and deeper at said forward end.

4. The engine claimed in claim 3 wherein said drum is tangent to saidinner surface of said housing essentially at the circumferentiallocation of said spark plug.

5. A rotary internal combustion engine having intake and exhaust ports,comprising:

a housing with a circular rotation chamber therein partially defined bya circular inner surface thereof, and having an inwardly extendingannular flange at either end thereof, said flanges defining the ends ofa cylindrical volume which encompasses, and whose longitudinal axis isspaced from, and parallel to the longitudinal axis of said chamber;hollow annular drum rotatably mounted in said housing on, and concentricwith said annular flanges, said drum having at least one pair of slotsextending partially inward from the circular periphery thereof and arecess on the circular periphery of the portion of said drum betweeneach pair of said slots; a shaft rotatably disposed through the centerof said chamber and eccentrically through said drum, said shaft havingsupporting means associated therewith for maintaining its positioncoaxially with said longitudinal axis of said chamber;

a wheel with at least one pair of facing vanes extending from itsperiphery, said wheel being rigidly mounted concentrically. on saidshaft and disposed within and eccentrically of said drum, said vanesbeng movably disposed within said slots, the profile of each facing vanebeing wave-shaped with a point of concavity near the top and the bottomthereof and a point of convexity therebetween and the spacing betweeneach said pair of vanes allowing said head to ride therebetween with theends of said head wiping said facing vanes as said wheel and said drumrotate eccentrically of one another in said housing;

a variable volume fuel chamber enclosed by the mutually facing surfacesof said vanes, the circular periphery of said portion of said drumtherebetween, and the inner surface of said housing, the volume of saidfuel chamber varying said drum and said wheel rotate; and

a spark plug, an intake port'and an exhaust port circumferentiallydistributed along said inner surface of said housing so that said fuelchamber communicates appropriately with said ports and said plug tofacilitate the intake, compression, power and exhaust phases of theengine cycle.

6. The engine claimed in claim wherein:

said portion of said drum between each pair of said slots is a pistonhead which moves between said pair of vanes as said drum rotates, eachsaid head having a forward end and a rearward end; and

each said recess extends essentially from the center to said forward endof said head and is deeper at said forward end.

7. A rotary internal combustion engine having a cycle including the fourphases of intake, compression, power, and exhaust, said enginecomprising:

a hollowing housing;

a hollow first body rotatably disposed within an inner surface of saidhousing, and mounted on an axis parallel to, and eccentric of an axis ofsaid housing;

at least one piston head associated with said first body and having anarcuate peripheral surface with a recess therein;

a second body mounted in said first body and on an axis concentric withsaid axis of said housing to rotate with, and eccentrically of saidfirst body;

at least one pair of facing vanes rigidly extending from the peripheryof said second body to said inner surface of said housing, and disposedat opposite ends of said head, said head moving reciprocatively betweensaid vanes as said bodies rotate eccentrically of one another, said endsof said head wiping said vanes continuously during said reciprocativemotion of said head, the profile of each facing vane being wave-shapedwith a point of concavity near the top and the bottom thereof and apoint of convexity therebetween to accommodate said piston head as itmoves therebetween, the volume defined by said inner surface of saidhousing, said pair of facing vanes, and said piston head constituting afuel chamber whose volume varies with the motion of said head relativeto said vanes; and

a spark plug, an intake port and an exhaust port circumferentiallydistributed along said inner surface of said housing so that said fuelchamber communicates appropriately with said ports and said plug tofacilitate said intake,'cornpression, power and exhaust phases of saidengine cycle.

8. The engine claimed in claim 7 wherein:

said housing comprises a hollow cylindrical rotation chamber, and saidinner surface comprises a cylindrical surface and two end surfaces;

said first body is a hollow drum with its circumferen tial wallperiodically and symmetrically interrupted to define multiple saidpiston heads each with a forward and rearward end;

said second body is a 'wheel rigidly mounted on a shaft aligned alongsaid'axis of said housing, said shaft having supporting means associatedtherewith for maintaining its position along said axis of said housing;and

said recess on each said head extends essentially from the center tosaid forward end thereof and is wider at said forward end.

1. A rotary internal combustion engine having a cycle including the four phases of intake, compression, power, and exhaust, said engine comprising: a hollow housing; a hollow first body rotatably disposed within an inner surface of said housing, and mounted on an axis parallel to, and eccentric of an axis of said housing, said first body having at least one pair of slots extending partially and essentially radially inward from the periphery thereof; a second body mounted in said first body and on an axis concentric with said axis of said housing to rotate with, and eccentrically of said first body; at least one pair of facing vanes rigidly extending from the periphery of said second body to said inner surface of said housing and slidably disposed in said slots, the profile of each facing vane being wave-shaped with a point of concavity near the top and the bottom thereof and a point of convexity therebetween and the spacing between each said pair of vanes allowing said head to ride therebetween with the ends of said head wiping said facing vanes as said second body and said first body rotate eccentrically of one another in said housing; at least one piston head associated with said first body and disposed between said pair of slots, and having a recess on its periphery, said head moving reciprocatively between said pair of facing vanes as said bodies rotate eccentrically of one another; at least one variable volume fuel chamber defined by said inner surface of said housing, said pair of facing vanes, and said piston head, the volume of said fuel chamber reciprocatively varying with the motion of said head relative to said facing vanes; and a spark plug, an intake port and an exhaust port circumferentially distributed along said inner surface of said housing so that said fuel chamber communicates appropriately with said ports and said plug to facilitate said intake, compression, power and exhaust phases of said engine cycle.
 2. The engine claimed in claim 1 wherein said second body is rigidly mounted on a shaft aligned along said axis of said housing, said shaft having supporting means associated therewith for maintaining its position along said axis of said housing.
 3. The engine claimed in claim 2 wherein: said housing comprises a hollow cylindrical rotation chamber, and said inner surface comprises a cylindrical surface and two end surfaces; said first body is a hollow drum; said second body is a wheel; said piston head is a part of said drum and is defined by said slots, and comprises a forward end and a rearward end; and said recess extends essentially from the center to said forward end of said head, said recess being wider and deeper at said forward end.
 4. The engine claimed in claim 3 wherein said drum is tangent to said inner surface of said housing essentially at the circumferential location of said spark plug.
 5. A rotary internal combustion engine having intake and exhaust ports, comprising: a housing with a circular rotation Chamber therein partially defined by a circular inner surface thereof, and having an inwardly extending annular flange at either end thereof, said flanges defining the ends of a cylindrical volume which encompasses, and whose longitudinal axis is spaced from, and parallel to the longitudinal axis of said chamber; a hollow annular drum rotatably mounted in said housing on, and concentric with said annular flanges, said drum having at least one pair of slots extending partially inward from the circular periphery thereof and a recess on the circular periphery of the portion of said drum between each pair of said slots; a shaft rotatably disposed through the center of said chamber and eccentrically through said drum, said shaft having supporting means associated therewith for maintaining its position coaxially with said longitudinal axis of said chamber; a wheel with at least one pair of facing vanes extending from its periphery, said wheel being rigidly mounted concentrically on said shaft and disposed within and eccentrically of said drum, said vanes being movably disposed within said slots, the profile of each facing vane being wave-shaped with a point of concavity near the top and the bottom thereof and a point of convexity therebetween and the spacing between each said pair of vanes allowing said head to ride therebetween with the ends of said head wiping said facing vanes as said wheel and said drum rotate eccentrically of one another in said housing; a variable volume fuel chamber enclosed by the mutually facing surfaces of said vanes, the circular periphery of said portion of said drum therebetween, and the inner surface of said housing, the volume of said fuel chamber varying said drum and said wheel rotate; and a spark plug, an intake port and an exhaust port circumferentially distributed along said inner surface of said housing so that said fuel chamber communicates appropriately with said ports and said plug to facilitate the intake, compression, power and exhaust phases of the engine cycle.
 6. The engine claimed in claim 5 wherein: said portion of said drum between each pair of said slots is a piston head which moves between said pair of vanes as said drum rotates, each said head having a forward end and a rearward end; and each said recess extends essentially from the center to said forward end of said head and is deeper at said forward end.
 7. A rotary internal combustion engine having a cycle including the four phases of intake, compression, power, and exhaust, said engine comprising: a hollowing housing; a hollow first body rotatably disposed within an inner surface of said housing, and mounted on an axis parallel to, and eccentric of an axis of said housing; at least one piston head associated with said first body and having an arcuate peripheral surface with a recess therein; a second body mounted in said first body and on an axis concentric with said axis of said housing to rotate with, and eccentrically of said first body; at least one pair of facing vanes rigidly extending from the periphery of said second body to said inner surface of said housing, and disposed at opposite ends of said head, said head moving reciprocatively between said vanes as said bodies rotate eccentrically of one another, said ends of said head wiping said vanes continuously during said reciprocative motion of said head, the profile of each facing vane being wave-shaped with a point of concavity near the top and the bottom thereof and a point of convexity therebetween to accommodate said piston head as it moves therebetween, the volume defined by said inner surface of said housing, said pair of facing vanes, and said piston head constituting a fuel chamber whose volume varies with the motion of said head relative to said vanes; and a spark plug, an intake port and an exhaust port circumferentially distributed along said inner surface of said housing so that said fuel chamber communicates appropriately with said porTs and said plug to facilitate said intake, compression, power and exhaust phases of said engine cycle.
 8. The engine claimed in claim 7 wherein: said housing comprises a hollow cylindrical rotation chamber, and said inner surface comprises a cylindrical surface and two end surfaces; said first body is a hollow drum with its circumferential wall periodically and symmetrically interrupted to define multiple said piston heads each with a forward and rearward end; said second body is a wheel rigidly mounted on a shaft aligned along said axis of said housing, said shaft having supporting means associated therewith for maintaining its position along said axis of said housing; and said recess on each said head extends essentially from the center to said forward end thereof and is wider at said forward end. 